"Luck. How do you do question number 4?" The teacher asked, turning around to glare at the offensive student who sighed.

Luck balked. "Four sir?" He asked, stalling for time.

"Yes, four. Did you do the homework?"

"I did the homework but I forgot how I did it." Luck replied.

The shake of a head. The teacher moved onto another victim.

Blitzel raised his hand.
The teacher glared at him and refused to call on him.

The answer turned out to have something to do with sin(x+y) = sinx*cosy + siny*cosx

Rune opened his eyes when the bell rang and the teacher dimissed the class. Lunchtime. His stomach churned at the thought of spending it with Luck. Whether with dread, or anticipation, Rune didn't know. Heading for his locker, he switched out his morning books with his afternoon ones, making sure he had the copied notes and his math book so he could help Luck. As he headed for the doors, he frowned, noticing the downpour. Sighing softly, he glanced down the corridor, unsure whether he should look for Luck, or let the blonde find him. He always happened to, after all.

"Blitzel, what did I say earlier?"

Blitzel looked away from his notebook. "You said-" He paused, uncertain. The teacher had been going on about another student's question. He had tuned it out.

The bell rang.

"Saved by the bell." Luck said, and the class started getting up, including Blitzel.

"Sit down!" Snapped the teacher, but several students had already filed out, and Blitzel was already half-way out the room.

------------------------

Luck made his way through the crowds of other students to his locker where he exchanged his art folder for his science and history books. His math notebook remained in is backpack, as it always did these days. Though today it held some extra meaning, he supposed, in its reminder that he would meet with Rune to solve math problems. Other days, he sometimes took his notebook with him into the room where they kept math textbooks.

Clicking his lock closed, Luck made his way down the crowded corridors. His last name, being Aspen, earned him lockers located the furthest away from the doors outside. Looking at the door, Luck noticed it was particularly gray outside. He frowned. It was raining.

Luck stopped walking. Out of the corner of his eye he found a spot of purple. Rune. It was easy to find his hair anywhere. No wonder he picked him out so much.

He walked up to him. "It's raining." He said, stating the obvious. "Eating lunch at the library?"

Rune looked up when he heard Luck. He bit back a smile, and shrugged. "Wherever you want to study." He said, shifting his backpack slightly.

"Let's go to the library." Luck turned to the stairwell. He thought Rune would like being at the library, though he wasn't going to say it.

Rune followed, his limp almost entirely gone now. He still moved carefully, however, and if one happened to be paying attention, they might have a chance to catch a glimpse of new bruises across his hips.

Reaching the library, Rune gave a quick greeting to the librarian, and headed for one of the study rooms at the back of the library. They were quieter, and had more comfortable furniture.

Luck felt relieved in hearing Rune's footsteps following behind him. The library wasn't such a bad place, from his memory. The last and only time he'd been there was to obtain a few mandatory books for class. He usually hung around the halls otherwise, walking amongst the students and watching some scatter.

He nodded toward the librarian as he followed Rune into the study room, not being familiar with the library himself. It was oppressively quiet, Luck noted, as he entered the study room. Quiet like a rainy day when people hid under umbrellas on the street.

Rune sat down on one of the couches in the study room, relaxing into the softness. Opening his book, he pulled out the copied notes, and passed them across the table to Luck. "There- everything we've learned so far this year. I'll keep getting you the new notes weekly, too, if you'd like..." He offered.

Luck lifted the notes off the table with a hand, squinting slightly from the dim lighting of the study room. It was homier than he'd thought it be. "Study room" made him think of stiff wooden chairs and cubicles. The lightning was homey too, even though his eyes took some time to adjust.

He read through the notes quickly, surprised that Rune had notes to copy at all, and surprised at how easily he could understand the notes. Much easier than learning in class, in any case. He didn't understand everything, but that was expected.

Luck unzipped his backpack and picked out a pencil and his math notebook. He set then on the table.

"Thanks Rune, this is," he glanced down at the paper, "more than I ever could have hoped for." He hadn't expected Rune to copy notes on everything.

"That'd be great, I'd like that. Thanks." How many times had he said "thanks?" today? He usually never had to say those words.

He leaned forward, elbows on the library table, his brow furrowing. "I don't understand this part." He turned the notes around and indicated at a section.

Rune smiled, brushing off the thanks. "It was no problem." He said, then leaned over to see which part Luck was having trouble with. "Yeah, it can be a bit tricky..." He said, trying to explain it a bit better, even working out a few example equations to show Luck how to do it.

Luck grinned as he saw Rune explain the math problems, slightly distracted by the purple hair falling over Rune's face as he bent forward. Luck shook himself, the math problems were important. He concentrated over the review.

When they had reached the end of the page and finished, Luck's concentration broke. He reached over and brushed up that distracting strand of hair from Rune's face, lightly moving it aside.

Rune froze when Lucks hand was suddenly right there in his face, moving his hair. Fingertips grazed his cheek lightly, and Runes eyes drifted shut, and he nearly leaned into the touch, a slight shiver going through him.

An uncontrollable impulse rose up from within him as he saw Rune slowly close his eyes. Swiftly, Luck pushed his chair aside as he stood, leaning towards Rune from across the table. His hand that had been pushing the hair aside slid down the side of Rune's cheek. Luck marveled at how the makeup stayed.

He shot his arms under Rune's and flipped him until he laid across the table, reminiscent of the days he bullied the boy. He leaned down and grinned haphazardly, "What are we indeed?" His eyes flickered to Rune's hip area. "I don't like it when someone else hurts you."

Rune squeaked when he was grabbed, whimpering as he was pinned to the table, eyes wide with a mix of fear and... something else. Whatever it was, he did not like being treated like this. He watched Luck- it was about all he could do, stuck as he was. He saw the teen's eyes flicker down to his hips, where his shirt had ridden up slightly, exposing the bruises from his father's hands the night before. He let out another soft whimper, squirming a bit, his cheeks flushing as he realized how this would look if someone were to enter on them.

Luck fingered the bruises lightly before pressing down on them harder, trailing his finger up across Rune's neck, ending at his earlobe. He pressed on the boy's earlobe, pinching it. He was uncertain if it'd bruise at all, but regardless he let out a heavy breath--one that he did not realize he had been holding.

"There, that's my mark on you." He said, whispering into Rune's ear. "See ya." Luck slung his backpack over a shoulder and left. The bell would be ringing soon.

Rune winced at the pressure on his hip, whimpering softly, and gave a yelp when his earlobe was pinched, not expecting the sudden jolt of pain. He stilled as he heard Luck's voice in his ear, his eyes having shut at some point. He sat up slowly one Luck left, hissing slightly at the sting that came from his hip. He sat on the edge of the table, trying to figure out just exactly what was going on. He wasnt sure whether to be happy that Luck had changed tactics or not... Was he just playing with Rune's emotions, now that he knew his feelings for him? Or was there more behind it?

Rune shook his head, trying to dispel the thoughts as he got up, and left the study room, heading for his next class as the bell rang.

The bell was rang when Luck exited the library doors. It was time to go to science class with the teacher who had messed up their names. He remembered Rune being angered at being called Joshua. Joshua, was it? A name reserved for Rune by his family, perhaps. Luck clenched his fists in the thought. Rune's father angered him. And here he thought he was the only one who'd ever bullied Rune. Turns out, that wasn't the case. Why did he care anyway? Rune was just someone that happened to get on his nerves more than others. Why was he here feeling...

What was it that he was feeling?
Rune.
Joshua.
Rune.
Joshua.
The boy had his respect for his endurance. He had his awe. He had helped him, let himself get beaten by him.

What was this? Jealousy? Did he feel that damned emotion because of some kid he bullied? He shut off his train of thought as he entered the classroom unawares, picking a seat well at the back of the class. He didn't feel like thinking; paying attention to the class was the least of his worries.

Rune paused outside of the classroom, remembering that he had to share this class with Luck. He briefly considered skipping class, but as he turned to leave, he spotted the vice principal turn down the hallway. Wanting to avoid detention and a call home, he headed straight into the room, taking his usual seat by the door.

Luck couldn't help but turn when Rune entered the classroom. He gave Rune a languid smirk that betrayed nothing of what he had been thinking moments earlier before he busied himself with taking out a notebook for class, still slightly rattled by his previous comportment.

The teacher was roll-calling again.
"Luck?"
"Here." It seemed the roll-call had been fixed after all.

When the teacher reached Rune's name, she almost called him Joshua again, but caught herself, remembering to call him by his second name. It was partially due to writing in his name right, partially due to the glare that the boy levelled at her.
After roll-call, Rune pretty much tuned her out, losing himself in his thoughts, absentmindedly reaching up and rubbing the lobe Luck had pinched earlier. It was still tender, and Rune wasn't sure if it would bruise or not.

Luck largely ignored the rest of the roll-call by staring into space. When the teacher opened up a powerpoint, he opened his notebook and scribbled absentmindedly. Homework was a worksheet that would be handed out after class. A test was coming up next month on Halloween. They were drawing boxes and arrows. Newton has three laws, remember them.

The bell rang in what seemed like hardly any time at all, so busy Luck had been with his absentminded notetaking. He tossed his science notebook back into his backpack and walked out the door along with the rest of the students. He had thought of a plan when the teacher had been talking about how people felt heavier when the elevator pushed up on them and when the elevator stopped. He just had to get through history class so he could find Blitz.

Rune took a couple of notes, otherwise ignoring the teacher and doodling in his notebook. Once class ended, he put his books away, and headed for the computer lab where his programming class was held. He was still lost i. His thoughts, still confused by earlier. He could have sworn he'd almost liked having Luck so close, even if he normally couldn't stand having anyone in his personal space.

Luck strolled into history class still trying to decide on how to carry out his plan. They were talking about how women were spies or something a hundred and some years ago. Once the teacher asked a question about why they were spies. Luck raised his hand and said a few words about how women generally weren't suspected of something. Mulling over the lackadaisical response he gave, he wondered if he should have Cork and Fran tail Rune instead--or if he should put them in the line of fire at all.

Class went almost too quickly for Rune. He'd cleared his mind of other distractions and had worked on some tougher bits of code that had been giving him issues, finally getting the page to work. He grinned, sitting back with a sigh. He was glad to finally have gotten that bit fixed. Glancing at the clock, he decided to just work on the page layout, instead of more coding, since he doubted he'd have enough time to finish.

When the bell did ring, he'd finished two page layiuts on top of the coding- next he just had to fill things in where he needed them, and work out the wording for each piece. He packed up quickly, leaving the school and heading for home, hoping to have a little more time without his father there.

The history teacher wouldn’t let them out when the bell rang. Luck would’ve gotten up anyway for any other teacher, but Mrs. Elkin had a reputation for being nice. Anyone who got up would’ve been branded an instant ass. Hence, he sat through the class.

They had a video up on some comedy. “Just ten minutes,” Mrs. Elkin had said, “I know you guys don’t have class after this. You don’t, do you?”

None of the students did. “No.” One girl said enthusiastically, after a silence in response to Mrs. Elkin. “Oh man, if we did that would suck.” Luck added in to the lessening silence. Before long everyone was babbling, and poor Mrs. Elkin had to quiet them all down.

The video was a black and white film about airplanes, or something. None of the students took it too seriously. It was the end of the class, after all.

When Luck and the rest of the class left the room, the lockers were nearly devoid of people. Luck sighed as he approached his locker. He’d missed Rune, and Blitz, and Cork and Fran.

He left the school building and headed to the bus stop. Luck preferred to take the bus when the history teacher let them out late, as she often did. He liked waiting at the stop much better than the stink of the subway. In fact, he’d take the bus more if he could, only bus arrived too late after classes ended, unless Mrs. Elkin felt like keeping them.

Getting in, Rune headed for the kitchen first, the meal he was planning on making took a little more time that what he'd made the night before. Really, he should have gotten it started in the slow cooker that morning, but he hadn't wanted to be anywhere near his dad after last night.

He grabbed the leftover chicken from two nights ago, removing the skin and ripping meat from the bones, tossing it into a pot to make soup, along with some celery, carrots, potatoes and onions. He turned the stove on, to heat everything, then headed upstairs to get started on his homework.

Back home, Luck finished off a bowl of cold spaghetti before going to his bedroom. His mother pretty much always cooked spaghetti, and he'd learned not to care about good food from a young age. Hence, despite his physique, he didn't have the voracious appetite of normal youths. He ate as he thought he needed, and it seemed enough to sustain him healthily enough. That was all that mattered.

He made a few lazy marks over his homework pages, before sighing in boredom. Luck stuffed his low-quality homework inside his bag, before picking up a basketball from beside his bed.

He set out for the park around his home, just ten blocks away. Nothing much.
There wasn't a basketball court there, but there were tree branches things over, and there was the land to dribble on. When he got bored of dribbling and tossing the ball over leaves, he'd hide the ball in a bush and run.

Rune went downstairs a few times to check on dinner, a little surprised that his father wasn't home yet. The third time he went down, he was just coming out of the kitchen when the front door opened, some blonde bimbo waliing in with his father, both noticeably drunk. His father barely paid him any mind as they headed upstairs.

Rune groaned, knowing exactly why the drunk chick was there. He went into the kitchen, turned off the stove- knowing neither was likely to eat that night- before running up to his room, grabbing a change of clothes, his backpack, and his school stuff. He headed back downstairs and outside, tugging on a jacket and slinging his bag over his shoulder. He'd just go find somewhere else to sleep that night. It wasn't like his father would care, since he had that whore to satisfy him. That way, he wouldn't have to listen to them going at it. There was also no risk, this way, of him being dragged into something.

Rune wandered around town, headphones on, music blaring, not really paying attention to where he was going.

Luck dribbled the basketball as he ran across the pavement. When he reached the park he strolled into a mess of trees. There was a branch he'd broken by accident once when he threw the ball onto it after a storm. He tossed the ball over some branches, liking the feeling of moving. He imagined his own hoops. This was where he'd throw it, that was how he'd throw it, these were the positions he needed to remember how to throw from.

Rune had just happened to look up in time to see Luck entering the park. He was a little surprised, not having realized how far his feet had taken him while he was lost in thought. He looked around quickly, before crossing the street, heading for the park himself. Frowning slightly, he looked for Luck, having lost sight of the teen.

Landing on his feet, Luck caught the ball as it fell, before tossing it sideways too another tree. Too far, he realized as it flew upward. He needed to try with less strength next time. The ball fell out of the mess of trees. Luck ran out after it.

The ball was rolling to someone's feet. Luck looked up, wondering who it was, for there were rarely people in the park. It was Rune?

He composed himself. "Rune you live around here?"

Rune picked the ball up, looking in the direction it had come from. He gave a small smile when he saw Luck. "I'm... Not really sure, actually. I was sort of lost in thought on my way here." He said, rubbing the back of his neck in nervous embarrassment.

Normally he might have reacted more to Rune as he blushed, normally meaning at school. But here in the peace of the park, Luck only shrugged and picked the ball from Rune's hands.

"Do you know your way back?" He asked, nonchalant.

He shrugged slightly. "I've got my phone, which has gps..." He said, though he didn't exactly want to go back home. That tramp his father brought home would probably still be there in the morning.

Luck nodded. He often forgot phones had gps in them in part because Blitz never carried one around.

"Just stay safe alright?" Luck focused his attention on spinning the basketball on one hand. "What were you doing wandering all over the place anyway?"

Rune shrugged again, not really wanting to talk about it. "Just needed to get out for a bit..." He said softly. Middle of a public park was not where he wanted to discuss his fathers drunken one night stands, or his reason for not wanting to be in the house during one. Even if there wasn't anyone else nearby.

Luck settled the ball under the crook of one arm. "I wish you told me these things." He said, making his manner nonchalant. He turned to walk over to the mess of trees he'd come from before he made a further embarrassment of himself. The boy didn't want to talk, and in the space of the outdoors, where he couldn't be the domineering bully, who was he to ask?

Frowning slightly, Rune watched Luck walk away. Looking around a little, he followed the other boy, pushing his way through the brush. "Hey." He reached out, placing a hand on Luck's arm. "You've read my journal... You know what my father can be like..." He said softly. Even if they were now secluded, he didn't want to risk anyone overhearing them. "He came home late, drunk, and with some blonde whore glued to him." He shrugged a bit, though to a trained eye, it might seem more like a shudder.

Luck tossed the basketball onto the grass. He raised an eyebrow at Rune's remark. The last sentence had come out rather disgusted, he thought.
"What's wrong with your dad whoring with some blonde chick? Keeps him off you doesn't it?" He kicked the ball a little, that had come out harsher than he'd intended it, but he was much too prideful to address that.

Rune chuckled humorlessly. "You'd think so, wouldn't you?" He said, going and sitting at the base of a nearby tree, setting his bag beside him. "Sometimes it does... but then I've got to listen to them going at it all damn night... Other times..." He shrugged, pulling his knees up to his chest, staring down at his shoes. "Sometimes he gets bored with the girl a-and... makes me join in."